TECHNOLOGY (6TH)

     As well as teaching basic typing skills, students will be stretched to use the programs like Word, PowerPoint, Excel and others.  We will also be exploring the world of WEB2.0 tools where students will be encouraged to be more than consumers of information.  They will be encouraged to contribute to the World Wide Web with their creativity.

TOBACCO, ALCOHOL, AND OTHER DRUGS (7TH)

     I include a lot of hands on activities and demonstrations to get students engaged in the learning.  Students will perform skits, make posters, put together a PowerPoint presentation, and demonstrate their knowledge in other active ways.

     Students also enjoy having Officer Row come in and do some teaching and some demonstrations to make the material come to life.

FIRST AID / CPR (8TH)

     This is a very activity oriented subject.  Students will daily be out of their seat practicing the different emergency techniques.  The final evaluation involves them handling a mock emergency situation in class.

RELATIONSHIP / SEXUALITY / FAMILY LIFE (8TH)

     This topic seems to get all the attention and for good reason.  When my kids are in Jr. High I will have questions as well.  This is a big reason I wanted to post how I approach the topic on the Internet for parents to see.

     I rely heavily on parents when teaching this subject.  All the studies I have read point to the parents as the primary influence for kids in this area.  (Your child may not tell you that.)  I like to take advantage of that influence and create "TEACHABLE MOMENTS" for parents at home.  I want the parents to do the real teaching on the subject.  You know your child and what depth they need to be taught.  We will hold discussions and stay pretty general in class on most topics.

     I am very straightforward with students and parents about my philosophy.  I teach that abstinence until marriage is the ONLY truly safe sex.  I let students know I will not teach them that something is safe and have someone come back to me a few years later in trouble because they followed what I said was "safe". 

     On the other side of this issue, we discuss the fact there are married and unmarried couples that do choose to use different forms of "protection".  We discuss the risk or failure rate of the most popular methods.  We also go over what these methods do and do not protect against.  (There are no demonstrations of how to use contraceptives in class.)

  This unit is best titled a relationship unit.  Even though we do cover the topics mentioned above, a lot of time is spent on developing relationships with parents, friends, and siblings.  Students will be involved in role plays, skits, and other communication activities.  They will be coming home with a pretend baby for a weekend to help them start to understand the responsibility of adult behaviors.

     Past students have enjoyed constructing a PowerPoint research project on a current teenage social issue.  They will present these to the class toward the end of the trimester.  Some extra research and discussion at home may be required for this project.

     If you have any questions, please feel free to email or call me.

Thanks,